Missing Samwise Gamgee
by NerdyPotatoFacedLoser97
Summary: Rose Cotton pays the Gamgee household a visit one day in a seemingly endless winter. Heavy snow fall leaves her alone and she can't stop the nostalgia from flooding her mind. And who is it about? The one and only Samwise Gamgee. Because goodness, she misses him a lot.


**This is just a one-shot about Rose Cotton and how she spends her time while Sam is away with Frodo and the others.**

**Feel free to review and favourite if you like it. This is my first fanfic, so constructive criticism is valued.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or settings. They belong to the great J. R. .**

As she knocked on the wooden door of the small hobbit hole, Rose Cotton let out a sigh. Her breath was visible in the cold December air and her toes had gone numb from standing in the snow for so long. She never felt at ease in all the six months that he had been away. It was as though a dark shadow had passed over the Shire and even her job serving drinks in the Green Dragon was not enjoyable anymore. It was as if those boys – although she supposed they were men now – where the heart and soul of the place.

The door swung open to reveal Bell Gamgee. She was a little worn at the edges, and a seemingly perpetual worry was folded neatly into the wrinkles on her face. But despite this, she still managed a smile at the young hobbit stood on her doorstep.

"Well, I reckon you're here to see Marigold now, aren't you Miss Cotton?" she asked.

"That I am Mrs Gamgee," Rose replied.

"Oh my dear, how many times have I told you? Call me Bell," the older woman smiled. Rose chuckled.

"Sorry, Bell."

Bell laughed, "I forgive you dear. But I'm afraid Marigold is not home. You're welcome to wait until she comes back. Come inside from the cold, you must be freezing, poor girl."

"Thank you," she replied, proceeding to enter the front hall.

"Can I get you some tea Rose?"

"Yes please, that would be wonderful."

Bell wandered off to the kitchen and Rose made herself comfortable in the living room, perching on the edge of the plush loveseat. She glanced around the cosy room. The fireplace was alight and blazing, filling the room with warmth and a familiar smoky scent.

Rose was just admiring the way that the ornaments on the mantelpiece were as they always were, in a straight and uniform position. There, in the very middle, was the cracked vase that Sam and Rose accidentally dropped when they were helping spring clean one year when they were small. Rose smiled slightly, remembering the look plastered across Sam's face when he thought about what his mother would say when she found out. It turned out that Bell despised it and was rather thrilled when it broke. Unfortunately her husband glued it back together due to the fact it had belonged to his great great great grandmother.

A head popped round the doorframe. "Rose, I'm afraid I've run out of milk. I'm just going out to the shop. Please make yourself at home."

"Oh, please, I don't want to be an inconvenience," she insisted.

"It's no trouble dear. I needed to go anyway. I'll be back soon," assured Mrs Gamgee, and she put on her cloak and bustled out of the door, leaving Rose quite alone.

A sigh left her pink lips yet again. Being in this home did not help. Because it was his. And he was not here. She didn't know where he was and that worried her. More than worried her. The anxiety that could be found in the creases on Mrs Gamgee's face was mirrored in not only Rose's appearance, but in everything she did. She knew that people could see it. She was painfully aware of every pity filled glance that was sent her way. It was alright for most hobbits – they weren't constantly checking the letterbox or staring wistfully out of the window in hope for anything that might clue them in on the safe arrival of a loved one. A missing loved one. Her missing loved one. Sam.

Rose leaned back on the seat. Being so comfortable in this place meant she did not feel rude when her legs pulled to her chest and her arms wrapped instinctively around them. She sat curled up on the faded cushions and placed her head between her knees as the snow got steadily heavier outside. Bell would have made it to the shop by now, so she was not worried for the older hobbit's safety.

In her mind several small hobbits raced around the room and the sound of laughter filled the emptiness.

_"__You can't catch me Sam!" yelled Tom, the eldest of the four, but only by a few months._

_"__I can too!" replied an enthusiastic other. They chased around the place in a frenzy._

_"__It's Samwise the Brave, going to save the fair maiden," commentated the second boy's younger sister, "with his faithful sidekick, Marigold the Magnificent!" she pointed to herself._

_Rose giggled from atop the loveseat that they pretended was a tower. "Please rescue me Sam, I' getting a little hungry."_

_"__Anything for you fair maiden," he cried, "but first I must defeat this dragon!"_

_So he lunged at Tom with his wooden sword, as the latter breathed imaginary fire at the hero. They battled some more, with Marigold occasionally giving her brother some tips on how to fight. _

_"__You'll never defeat me little man!" Tom shouted._

_"__I am not a man," Sam replied somewhat haughtily, "I am a hobbit."_

_Tom laughed, "And what is a hobbit, mortal?"_

_His friend mock gasped. "You do not know of the mighty hobbits?! A hobbit is small but mighty. We live in the most wonderful place on earth, the Shire. And we are the greatest of all the creatures. But you have captured our princess, and I want her back!"_

_"__Actually brother," said Marigold matter-of-factly, "I already saved her."_

_The boys stared wide-eyed at their sisters who were now clutching dolls in their small arms._

_"__It's true. While Samwise the Brave was battling the fearsome dragon, Marigold snuck up the tower and rescued me herself," Rose informed them._

_"__That's not fair, Sam was supposed to save you!" said Tom._

_"__But he was taking too long," stated Marigold._

_"__That's alright, I'll save you one day Rosie. I promise," Sam laughed happily._

_"__I hope so Sam. You were very brave fighting a dragon for me," Rose smiled back._

_And the four continued playing until their parents called them to supper. The Cottons stayed over that night. Rose slept in Marigold's room, and Tom stayed in Sam's. But long after everyone else had fallen asleep, Rose snuck out of her allotted bedroom and sat on the loveseat. She was awoken by a bad dream and did not wish to disturb the sleep of others. However, someone heard her. And he clambered up to sit next to her on her soft throne._

_"__Are you alright Rosie?" Sam asked in a low voice._

_"__I had a nightmare," she whispered back._

_"__What was it about?" he inquired, "If you don't mind me asking."_

_She sniffed quietly into her sleeve. "It was about you."_

_"__Me?"_

_"__Yes. You were older and you went away for a very long time. You were with some other hobbits – Mr Frodo was there as well – and some taller creatures that I don't know. You were leaving me behind because I couldn't come with you this time. And… and you didn't come back."_

_The boy put his arms around his friend as she sobbed gently into his little shoulder._

_"__I'll always come back to you Rosie."_

By now there were tears cascading down her pink cheeks. She had been sat there in a ball on the seat for almost two hours and the snowfall had not subsided during that head hurt and her heart ached but she rose from her broken position and walked slowly down the hall.

Her feet took her to the second door to the left and she stopped. Her gaze dragged across the grains of wood and her hand trembled as she ran it over the brass handle. Almost reluctantly she opened the door to find the room exactly as it had been left by its usual occupant. She scanned the walls and furniture with clouded blue eyes.

The water dripping from her eye down her face caught at the corner of her lips and she could taste the salt. As if this had suddenly motivated her, she closed the gap between her and his neatly made bed. The girl climbed between the sheets and cocooned herself there, like a caterpillar awaiting the spring. But her spring had curly, dirty blonde coloured hair. He had brown eyes. A shy, crooked but handsome smile. And her spring was halfway across Middle Earth.

That is where Bell and Marigold found her when they arrived home, but they did not mind. The mother and daughter slipped silently away, so as not to disturb their troubled guest. Deep in sleep and wrapped in her love's sheets. After all the fitful nights she had had since the boys had gone, she finally felt relaxed. Perhaps it was because she was tired from the day's sadness. Or perhaps because the mattress was exceptionally comfortable. Perhaps it was because with every breath she inhaled his slowly fading scent left on the pillow. Or perhaps because she was dreaming of a gardener who called her his Rosie. But most likely of all, it was because at the very moment that he filled her dreams, Samwise Gamgee was thinking of her too.

He had promised long ago that he would save her someday. He had promised her that he would always return, which she awaited with much anticipation. She wished for that day that they walked through the doors of the Green Dragon and eventually… they did. And he made eye contact with her. He gulped down the last of his drink and determinedly walk towards her.

She asked "Hello Samwise Gamgee. I there anything I can get you?"

He just looked at her. As if she were the prettiest woman in the world, with her curly golden brown hair that was laced with the ribbons he bought her.

"Sam?" she repeated, "Do you need anything?"

And he replied with "Yes, I need you, Miss Rose."

Rose dropped the glass in her hands, walked around the bar, and kissed him deeply and passionately on his waiting lips. It was sweet and long overdue. In fact, so overdue that the entire pub went quiet for a minute. When the couple drew apart, everyone started clapping and whistling and laughing in happiness. But they seemed oblivious to both the noise and the crowd.

"You're here," she whispered in his ear as they embraced.

"I will always come back to you Rosie."


End file.
